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Partnership for Prevention seeks to support the development of transportation policies that also promote the nation’s health. We are pleased to have collaborated with the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) at UC Berkeley, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to produce "Transportation and Health: Policy Interventions for Safer, Healthier People and Communities." This report examines the effects of transportation policies on public health in three key areas—environment and environmental public health, community design and active transportation, and motor vehicle-related injuries and fatalities.

Our analyses show that many of the policies in this document can have immediate, mid-term, or long-term effects. Installing streetlights, new sidewalks, and bicycle-friendly infrastructure can have positive effects that are felt immediately. Incorporating bicycle boulevards or greenways into comprehensive community plans will likely bring about changes over time. The health effects of these policies will also play out in different time frames.

In order for transportation policy to positively affect health, expanded education and relationship building with multiple stakeholders at various levels is necessary. National, state, and local collaborations that bring together health policy leaders, the business community, government officials, and educators are steps in the right direction. We encourage all organizations and individuals promoting health-focused transportation policies to urge policy makers to adopt policies consistent with the evidence-based recommendations presented in this document.

Chapter 1 Policies that Improve the Environment and Environmental Public Health (click here for PDF)

Chapter 1 presents policies that would reduce the transportation system’s impacts on the environment and environmental public health, chiefly through reducing the ill effects of transportation-related emissions. This can be done through two approaches: reducing the amount of emissions that are generated, and reducing exposure to these emissions when they do occur.

Chapter 2 explores policies that can enhance community design in order to promote safe and active transportation. These policies can lead to changes in the shape and nature of our communities, so that active transportation can become a more attractive and viable option for all Americans.

Chapter 3 explores ways to make motor vehicle operation safer. Over the past few decades, the rate of traffic fatalities and injuries has dropped significantly. The successes in increasing seat belt use and reducing driving under the influence (DUI) are among the most significant achievements in U.S. public health history. Nevertheless, the potential exists for even more substantial reductions in traffic deaths, injuries, and associated costs.